The Noxious Neighbors Part 6
PB is desperately trying to rip the big man’s hands from off his neck. They are falling back until they are across the carpeted floor of the book store and PB feels the wooden counter top smash into the small of his back. It hurts and he can’t breath and he claws at the big man’s face. Someone grabs his right hand and another his left, allowing the big man to step back and get enough space to shove his fist into PB’s gut.
PB is on his knees and seeing nothing but red. His lungs are crying out in vain and he heaves and puffs and tears are streaming down his face. The big man has made his way around and he grabs PB by his arms, forcing him back to his feet.
“It’s him! From last night!”
The big man’s voice is high, almost squeaky, and PB doesn’t regret hitting him in the head with a tree limb.
“Who?” the bald one asks and he steps closer, staring into PB’s face with squinted eyes.
“The one from last night. The bastard that stopped the shadow ritual. It’s him!”
PB is getting his breath back and he can focus again. There are four of them all together. Owen is standing by the book cases, a dull uninterested look on his face. PB can’t see the big guy because he’s behind him and has his arms pulled together. He can feel the man’s breath on the back of his neck. There’s another one standing to the side, a man he doesn’t recognize with long hair and a band t-shirt. The bald man stands in the center of the room with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Who are you?” the bald man asks and runs pale fingers with long finger nails through his handle bar mustache.
“A guy. I’m just a guy,” PB spits out hoarsely.
The bald man looks at the long hair and the long hair steps forward and puts another punch firmly in PB’s stomach. PB is seeing shots of light and the room has gone pink again. There is bile in his throat and he wishes he had never moved into that apartment or even into that particular town.
“Why did you interfere with the raising of the great shadow?” the bald man asks. He waits behind the mustache and everything about the man makes PB’s skin crawl.
“Where’s the girl,” PB forces out and the words are barley a whisper but still hurt in his throat.
“We ask the questions my friend,” the bald man replies.
The long hair makes his way forward again but the bald one holds up his hand and stops him in his tracks.
“Do not hit him again brother. I fear that he will keel over and vomit all over the carpet,” the bald one commands.
“Yes Lord Zaldig,” the long hair replies and steps back to his position.
PB is grateful that Lord Zaldig called off the punch and he can tell from the bald man’s face that he knows it.
“Why are you here my friend?” Lord Zaldig asks.
“I’m not saying anything until you tell me where the girl is and what you have done with my car.”
Zaldig runs the nails through the mustache again and then points towards the long hair.
“Jerry, get me the sword.”
The long hair walks around the counter and into a backroom. The rest remain silent. They all stare at PB and PB tries to stare back with as much defiance as he can muster. Jerry walks back out carrying a long medieval sword in both hands. He brings it over to Zaldig and places it in the older man’s hands ceremoniously.
“This is the sword of the Great Shadow. Do you like it?” Zaldig asks PB slyly and the lips surrounded by the mustache retract into a hideous smile.
PB is about to reply when the door to the store opens and an eleven year old kid walks in. The boy strolls around the books shelves and directly into the ongoing interrogation.
“Do you guys have the whole Harry Potter series in paper back?” the kid asks and scans the room through thick glasses, waiting to be helped.
“The door is not locked?” Zaldig mutters accusingly at the big man as he lowers the sword to the side. He turns towards the boy “Young sir, we are closed at this moment. I believe we can get the collection put together for you if you can come back another time.”
Zaldig has placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and is leading him back towards the door. Jerry the long hair is staring at PB with a look of impending violence and PB very much hopes that Jerry was one of the people wearing a cloak that got hit with the tree branch the night before.
“Loki? Do you have your key?” Zaldig calls from the front of the store.
The big man grunts at Owen and Owen steps forward to take over as PB’s keeper. The big guy let’s go of PB’s arms and it is like being released from a vice. PB can feel the blood begin to flow through his veins again. He feels his head start to clear and immediately he throws himself against Owen, pushing the other man back into Jerry. PB is around the counter before either of them has regained their footing and he is through the back room and into the alley behind the store before any one has made chase.
His lungs are burning and feel like they are full of hot liquid. He doesn’t see the garbage cans or stacks of cardboard boxes that he is dodging; he only sees the mouth of the alley that leads to the street. He hears a cry behind him and glances back to see Jerry and Owen bursting out of the back door in pursuit. He is going to beat them and PB almost smiles before he sees that the big guy Loki take position at the alley’s entrance.
The big guy has spread his arms like he is preparing for a large affectionate hug. PB enters the radius of Loki’s extended arm span and the big man brings them together, forcing his prey towards his chest. PB let’s the arms close in around him and then throws his foot up into Loki’s crotch. A high cry emits from Loki’s lips with a gurgle and the giant crumbles to the cement at PB’s feet.
PB throws another kick to the big man’s chest and then he is out in the open, dodging pedestrians and tearing across the street in hopes of losing the remaining pursuers. A car screeches to a stop in front of him and another honks but he is oblivious in his desperation. He wants a cop but comes to a train station entrance first and ducks down the stairs to take refuge below.
He’s slowing down at the foot of the stairs and tries to catch his breath, the sweat dripping off of him and soaking through his clothes. He goes through the turnstile and down to the platform. The station is desolate, only a few scattered figures waiting for a train. He scans for a police officer of some kind and pulls his phone to call 911. There is no reception in the underground station and he curses as he walks off the adrenalin.
He can a hear a train making it’s way down the tube in the distance and decides he will get aboard and escape downtown for the time being. He is relieved to have made a decision and leans against a pillar to wipe the sweat off his fore head and out of his eyes. Now that his breathing has slowed and the adrenalin is draining from his blood he can feel the fear making its way to the surface. He hadn’t had a chance until this moment to realize how terrified he is.
The terror is in his arms and hands and stomach but then shoots up into his throat when he sees Lord Zaldig approaching from across the platform. The bald man has donned his long black rain coat that flaps around his legs as he walks. PB is sure the coat is simply to hide the blade of the shadow sword and he pushes himself away from the pillar and circles towards the platform’s edge.
He will simply make like he’s getting on the train and then break for an exit. He can jump a turnstile. Maybe the booth operator will notice and call the police. The cops will come and arrest the bald man. They will free the girl from where these fiends have her prisoner. They will locate and return PB’s car.
He continues to step backwards but keeps both eyes on the bald man who approaches slowly, slyly. Lord Zaldig’s mouth stretches back into a terrible smile again and his hand silthers its way out of the coat slowly, slyly. The approaching train is blaring its horn from down the tube and PB’s heart skips a beat and a half when he spots the gun in the bald man’s hand.
The scrapping of the train’s wheels along the tracks is gaining in volume and Lord Zaldig is extending the gun with the long silver barrel towards PB. PB is stepping back, back, back along the platform. He is anticipating the bullet coming out of the gun. He is waiting for the flash. He will drop then he will roll and he will get away but he has run out of room to retreat and he falls helplessly backwards after stepping off the platform.
He falls into the dirt and grime between the tracks and the whole world is filled with the deafening roar and the rumble of the approaching train. PB is shocked and confused and can’t understand where he is. All he sees is the bright light of the train as it bears down on top of him.
To be continued in Part 7
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